Compound Document Format (CDF) is a set of W3C candidate standards describing electronic document file format

Document file format

A document file format is a text or binary file format for storing documents on a storage media, especially for use by computers.There currently exist a multitude of incompatible document file formats....

s that contains multiple formats, such as SVG

Scalable Vector Graphics

Scalable Vector Graphics is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic . The SVG specification is an open standard that has been under development by the World Wide Web Consortium since 1999.SVG images and their...

, XHTML

XHTML

XHTML is a family of XML markup languages that mirror or extend versions of the widely-used Hypertext Markup Language , the language in which web pages are written....

, SMIL

Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language

SMIL , the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, is a W3C recommended XML markup language for describing multimedia presentations. It defines markup for timing, layout, animations, visual transitions, and media embedding, among other things...

 and XForms

XForms

XForms is an XML format for the specification of a data processing model for XML data and user interface for the XML data, such as web forms...

.
The core standards are the Web Integration Compound Document

Web Integration Compound Document

Web Integration Compound Document is a W3C candidate standard of the Compound Document Format working group, based on the idea of integrating existing markup language formats in preference to inventing new markup.-External links:*...

 and the Compound Document by Reference Framework (CDR).

The .CDF file extension more commonly denotes the Computable Document Format

Computable Document Format

Computable Document Format is an electronic document format designed to allow easy authoring of dynamically generated interactive content. It was created by Wolfram Research.-Features:...

 created by Wolfram Research.
As of August 19, 2010, the Compound Document Format working group has been closed, and W3C's development of the standard discontinued.

External links

• Official website
• ARS Technica Feature
• The Standards blog "Putting the OpenDocument Foundation to Bed (without its supper)"
• Marbux "Putting Andy Updegrove to Bed (without his supper)", Setting the Record Straight - Universal Interoperability Council, 6 February 2008